The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-08-28
How tho Apostles Made Money Out o.
Civil Service Reform.

now Cn0 ApObLk0s "bUo mOuoy Ous Va
Civil Service Reform.
A correspondent In Brooklyn asks Us the
following question respecting the early bis
tory Of civil service reform:
rs n true that hr. 0.oRss wnaIAn cuEm eharssd
the as the closing up OF the Ctv Service
Commission under President GIANT 500 day for his
services and that his bill cut down onsha Or only
$50 day allowed hin "
1t Is not true. Mr.. CURTIS made no charge
per diem for his services under the act Of
March 5, 1871. The bills which he did put In
were all allowed by tho Government and
paid. There were four bills presented by
Mr. CURTIS In the ten months between July.
1871, and April. 1872. amounting to $500.
The financial disintereetedness Of the early
Apostles OF civil service reform having been
doubted, we have caused a careful examine
ton Of the Treasury accounts to be made,
with q view to settling this important his
torical question. The facts are worth put
ting upon record.
During Gen. GRANTS first term the
Fathers Of Civil Service Reform made their
earliest demonstration at Washington. They
procured tho passage Of law authorizing
the President to prescribe such regulations
for the admission Of persons into the civil
service Of the United States as may best
promote the efficiency thereof, and ascertain
the fitness Of each candidate in respect to
age. health. character, knowledge. and
ability" The same law empowered the
President to employ suitable persons
to conduct such inquiries" Congress
also appropriated $4,000 for contingent and
incidental expenses. There was no Civil
Service Commission instituted by this act Of
1871, and no regular salaries were provided
for the Suitable persons" to whom the
President might intrust the fortunes Of the
reform. Hero were q number Of gentlemen,
the Apostles Of new faith, actuated by the
loftiest patriotism and anxious to try an sx-
pertinent In the science Of government. Con-
gress gave them the chance. 1t did not insult
the purity Of their motives by Offering them
q salary.
The suitable persons whom Gen. GRANT
selected at different times were Mr.. GEORGE
WILLIAM CURTIS. Mr.. ALEXANDRA G. CAT
TELL, Editor JOSEPH MEDILL, Mr.. DAWSON
A. WALKER, Mr.. E. O. GRAVES. Mr.. SAMUEL
SHELLABARaER, and last but not least, tho
grandfather Of the competitive examination
system himself. Mr.. DoBMAN B. EATON.
As everybody knows, the experiment was q
dismal failure. Nothing Of practical impor-
lance was done toward reforming the civil
service. That service, indeed. went on from
bad during GRANTS first term to worse
during his second term. The experiment
and the gentlemen engaged in trying 1t be-
came tho laughing stock Of the practical
politicians. The reformers have never
ceased accusing Gen. GRANT Of bad faith in
the matter. Their pecuniary supplies were
soon cut of by Congress; and We have little
doubt that the Mugwump hatred Of Mr.
BLAINE dates from the day when that gen.
tleman, az Speaker OF the House Of Repre-
sentatives. appointed Congressman STEPHEN
w. KELLOGG Of Connecticut to be Chairman
of the House Committee on Civil Service Re-
form. In short, the principal result Of the
first general campaign Of the civil service
reformers was to use up the $4,000 appro-
priated In bulk by Congress.
To show just where the money went we
transcribe from the Treasury books the fol-
lowing entries: